Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Note to the White House

It is all but impossible to get through the White House comment line these days, so I resorted to brief e-mail to register input on the upcoming Afghanistan decision.
Dear Mr. President,
Thank you for including faith communities in gathering input on Afghanistan/Pakistan policy. It was an honor to join the group last week at the Eisenhower building.
As you near your final decision, please be mindful of the dismal history of military responses to insurgencies, and focus U.S. policy on diplomatic, political and humanitarian responses to the problems in Afghanistan.
Please be honest in your assessment of the "surge" in Iraq, and know that any similar surge in Afghanistan will likely accomplish no more than creating isolated zones of temporary safety.
True peace is not merely the absence of violence; it is the presence of justice. Please seek peace and pursue it.
Blessings on you and your family in the midst of such difficult times.
Shalom,
Rev. Dr. David Ensign
Christian Peace Witness
Pastor
Clarendon Presbyterian Church